News | Shell LiveWIRE at the IoD Annual Convention 2012

Here at Shell LiveWIRE, we try to offer ongoing support to all our Grand Ideas Award winners - be it through online PR for their business, invitations to events or making introductions to useful contacts that can help them on their entrepreneurial journey.

Nick Clegg MP, who opened the event with the disappointing news that the GDP had fallen by 0.2% in the first quarter which officially put the UK in recession.

Kevin Roberts (CEO of Saatchi & Saatchi), who went down a storm with the audience for his high octane and no-nonsense talk on how British businesses could start winning again. Top quote of the day was his assertion that the job title of CEO should stand for 'Chief Excitement Officer' and he certainly lives up to that role!

Roger Black MBE & Steve Backley OBE (BackleyBlack), who talked about how passion is the starting point for success not talent.

Alex Salmond (First Minister, Scotland)

Ariel Eckstein (LinkedIn)

Moya Greene (Royal Mail) and

Paul Deighton (Locog)

Nick Clegg MP during his opening speech at the IoD Annual Convention

Networking opportunities

This was the second IoD Annual Convention Stu and Paul (Shell LiveWIRE) had been to and it impressed again for not only how well-organised it was (over 1,000 people attended) but for attracting such a high calibre of speakers and the networking opportunities that arise before, during and after the event.

Charlie Francis, founder of corporate event ice cream maker Lick Me I'm Delicious was clearly enjoying himself as he made the most of the networking opportunities over lunch. Likewise, although not attending as part of our group, fellow Shell LiveWIRE Grand Ideas Award winner Jayesh Hirani dropped by to tell us how much he was enjoying the event and making good use of the #IoDAC Twitter hashtag to promote his free minicab booking app, Safer Minicabs to attendees!

About the IoD

Established in 1903, the IoD offers a wide range of free business advice and information, professional development, networking and mentoring services to its members and over the next 12-18 months is committed to proactively supporting start-ups and entrepreneurs.

During this time, Shell LiveWIRE will be supporting the IoD with their activities and is already working with them as part of the 'National Youth Enterprise Working Group (NYEWG)' which helped introduce the £10m pilot programme for a new 'Youth Enterprise Loan Scheme'.

Business in the low-carbon and sustainability sectors in particular face unique challenges and need funding partners that take this into account. That’s why this year, we launched the Access to Finance Navigator – an interactive, digital database to help small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) identify funding opportunities in the low-carbon, cleantech and sustainability sectors.